How to Avoid Hiring a Complainer

If you’ve been to Geno’s in Philadelphia, then you’ve seen people who know how to get things done. Once, while attending the National Speakers Association (NSA) Convention, a group of us (pictured above) took the Philly Cheesesteak Challenge. We compared Geno’s to Pat’s (competing restaurants across the street from each

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How to Keep People from Throwing You Under the Bus

I’ve been thrown under the bus a few times in my career but a while ago I couldn’t escape one. After speaking at a convention, the bus transporting conference attendees from the convention center to the hotel had a “minor malfunction.” When it was time to unload, the door made a sound like it

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Negotiate Conversations Like a Reporter

Most people know I went to law school but not everyone knows I first graduated with a Broadcast Journalism degree. During that time, I was a DJ at Texas Tech’s radio station and a news intern at KAMC-TV, the ABC affiliate in Lubbock. If you promise not to laugh at

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How to Stop a Complainer

Oh no…she was back…and she was bringing more complaints. Unfortunately, I didn’t have 30 minutes to hear “Diane” vent and describe every slight she suffered that week. My exploding at her, “Sorry, I just don’t have time to fix YOUR problems today,” certainly did not improve our work relationship. Ever have people

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How Getting My Credit Card Stolen Had a Silver Lining

BAD NEWS- My credit card and I were parted for a number of days-not of my doing. The thieves didn’t buy much. Luckily, they didn’t have my PIN number and I reported the card as stolen once I discovered it missing. SURPRISINGLY GOOD NEWS- There are good Samaritans out there. Meet Aysha

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How to Communicate with Good Cheer

Wow. I had a bad customer service experience over the holidays. While visiting one of my favorite stores, I encountered a Scrooge who did not like working. To be fair, it was busy and the dressing rooms were a disaster. (Don’t you wonder about people who won’t hang up the

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How to Negotiate for Anything

I was thrilled to be to invited to speak at the Professional Convention Management Association’s Convening Leaders Conference last week in sunny San Diego.  The local CW television channel found out I was going to be in town and asked me to appear on their morning show to discuss my favorite

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How to Refocus a Complainer

I’m embarrassed to say that heading over to the launch for my book Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers, I wasn’t pleasant. In fact, I was a big whiner – but I had “good” reasons. First, there was the late start because I forgot to load boxes into my car. Then, there

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The Worst Thing to Say to a Complainer

Some things you never forget. Quite a few years ago I was in the San Francisco airport after attending a three-day jam-packed National Speakers Association conference. Overwhelmed by all I had learned,  I was now at a tipping point in my career and not sure which direction to take. An industry

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How to Avoid the Top 10 Speaker Mistakes

Contrast this to the programs where I help technical leaders improve their ability to negotiate and influence. These engineers usually don’t enjoy public speaking at all. What do professional speakers and technical leaders have in common? More than you think. We all want to communicate in a way that others

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Stop Complainers & Energy Drainers Survey Results (Part 2)

Jerks are worth complaining about! As I put the finishing touches on writing the book Stop Complainers & Energy Drainers: How to Negotiate Work Drama to Get More Done, I’ve added an entire section on how to handle an office jerk who complains and drains your energy. After reading your survey

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